Protective mask



5, 1939. E. F. SHIPMAN 2,169,745

PROTECTIVE MASK Filed Dec. 15, 19:57 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 WMIIIIII/AlzV/l/II/I/l/A INVENTOR v ORNEY EMANUEL ESHIPMAN.

E. F. SHIPMAN 2,169,745

PROTECTIVE MASK Filed Dec. 13, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 15, 1939.

A e E 4 a Yl/l/V/l/in wu EMANUEL ESHIPMAN,

Aug. 15, 1939. E. F. SHIPMAN 2,169,745

PROTECTIVE MASK Filed Dec. 13, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ILL .15. iclzll.

INVENTOR EMANlJgjliijgf. W RNEY -Aug. 15, 1939. E. F. SHIPMAN PROTECTIVE MASK 4 She ets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 13, 1937 INVENTOR EMANUEL ES-HIPMAN.

BY W I ORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a protective mask, and has particular reference to a mask which will allow the wearer thereof full vision in all directions. I

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a mask which will give full protection to the eyes and face of a person using nitrometers, or a person who is subjected to hot sparks of metal, splashing acids and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mask of the foregoing type in which the wearer will have full vision in all directions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a protective mask in which the window thereof is composed of flexible material, and

which may be renewed from time to time with- Another object of the invention is to provide friction means between the mask frame and the head gear so that any relationship between the two will be maintained until changed manually.

Another object .of the invention is to provide a protective mask of such a design that the wearer thereof may employ correction glasses, if desired, without interference with said mask.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the mask with additional means for .protecting other parts of the wearer's anatomy without in any manner obstructing the full vision feature. 4

According to the invention, the mask has framing means consisting of top and bottom arcuate members and vertical side members, a dome segment above the upper arcuate member and an inverted dome segment below the bottom arcuate member, means in said side members for receiving the side edges of a flexible full vision windcgv, and means for holding the bottom of said window on the bottom arcuate member.

The mask may be provided with a head gear, and attached thereto by friction means so that when the head gear is properly seated on the head of the wearer, the mask may be maintained at any position relative to said head gear where the same is manually placed. The mask may be provided with side shields extending back} from said vertical members to protect the ears ,of the wearer, and may be provided with a cap extending over the head gear to protect the head of the wearer, or with a flexible cape for protecting the head, ears, shoulders and. chest, etc., of the wearer.

The drawings show embodiments of the invention and the views therein are as follo-ws:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the mask showing the same in an operative position,

Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken at the point indicated by the line 4-4 in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the head gear as attached to the mask, which is fragmentarily shown, and shows one side of the same in section,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view L showing modified friction means, between the mask and head gear,

Figures 8 and 9 show a body having a nut arrangement for locking thereon, t

Figure 10 is a. view similar to Figure 1, but

' framing member and mounted on the head gear,

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 1 and shows a cap attached to the upper dome segment and extending over the head gear,

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line l3|3 of Figure 12,

Figure 14 is a vertical sectional view, and is taken directly through the means which connects the dome segment and flexible cap in Fig- I ures12 and 13,

Figure 15 is a fragmentary detail view showing the means for connecting the cap at the rear of the head gear, I

Figure 16 is a fragmentary detail section showing a modified form of connecting the flexible cap of Figures 12 and 13 to the head gear,

Figure 17 is a. front elevational view of a mask having attached thereto a flexible cape for protecting the head, shoulders, chest, etc. of the wearer,

Figure 18 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 17,

Figure 19 is a substantially vertical sectional view of the device shown in Figures 17 and 18,

and is taken directly through the means by which the flexible cape is attached to the body of the mask,

Figure 20 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2929 of Figure 1,

Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2|-2| of Figure 20, and

Figure 22 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 22-22 of Figure 3.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each of the figures of the drawings.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the mask has means for framing a flexible window 26. This framing means comprises an upper arcuate flange strip or member 21, a lower arcuate flange strip or member 29 and'vertical side members 29. In the mask shown in Figure 1, the form of these side members 29 is clearly indicated in Figure 3 wherein the member 29 is channel shaped and has a strip 3| extending into the channel and retained by two lines of rivets 92 and 39, and providing a channel 94 in which the side edge 36 of the flexible window 26 is maintained. This channel member has its lower end outside the lower arcuate strip whereby the flexible window is readily replaceable. The upper arcuate flange member 21 terminates in a dome segment 91 while the bottom arcuate flange member 29 terminates in an inverted dome segment 99. Brackets 39 extend rearward from the framing means and are fastened to the upright side members 29 and upper arcuate flange member 21 by rivets 4|.

The bottom arcuate flange member 99 is split at 42 and the intermediate part 49 is pressed outward in order to provide means for maintaining the bottom of the flexible window 29 (see Figures 3 and 4).

Near the rear of the bracket 99 is a hole 44 through which is passed a bolt 46. This bolt may be used for providing a friction connecting means between the mask frame and the head gear, most clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6. This head gear consists of a head band 41 bent to substantially head shape and having the ends thereof bent outward to form flanges 49. These flanges are connected by a screw 49, the head end 5| being maintained securely against one of said flanges by the nut 52, while the other flange is adjustable to and from the flrst flange by means of a wing nut 59. The head band has an arch 54 whose ends are looped at 56, and riveted at 51. The inner walls 59 of the loops 56 are riveted to the head band at 59, while the outer walls 6| are secured to the brackets 39 by friction means mounted on the bolt 46. The head of said screw is maintained within the loop 56, and between said head and a washer 62, which bears against the outer wall 6| of the loop, is a spiral spring 69. Another washer 64 reposes between the outside of the outer wall 6| and the extension 99 while still another washer 66 is maintained against the outside of the bracket 39, while the lock nut 61 retains said screw in fixed position, so that the spring 63 will exert sumcient pressure against the washer 62, and consequently the outer wall 6| of the loop to provide friction between the brackets 39 and outer wall 6| of the loop 56.

While in Figures 5 and 6, there is shown a certain construction of friction means, it is not intended to limit the same to any deflnite assembly.

Figure '7 shows another type of friction device in which the bolt 46 has its head resting against the washer 66 bearing against the inner face of ment 91 and vertical side members 29.

the outer wall 6| of the loop 56. Mounted on the bolt 46 and between the outer wall 6| of the loop 66 and the bracket 99 are a pair of concave washers 69 having their concave faces opposed while the bolt is, in this instance, again provided with washers 44 and lock nuts 61. When the initial lock nut is screwed down on the bolt 46, any amount of tension desired may be provided between the concave washers, exactly as the tension is regulated with the use of the spiral spring 69 in Figures 5 and 6.

Figures 8 and 9 show a nut Ii which is split, or sawed, at I2 half-way through the same. and then distorted as shown at 19 in Figure 9. By distorting the nut as here shown, the force is exerted as a compression on the bolt threads, but on the distorted side of the nut. After the nut is tightened into position, it may be adjusted on or of! in the normal manner. It will not cut or shear the bolt threads, and will not work loose in service. It may be used in place of the double lock nuts shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7.

The head band 51 and arch 54 may be constructed of vulcanized fiber or other light material and the adjusting screw, springs, etc. are of acid resisting stainless steel.

Figure 10 shows a mask in which the bottom arcuate flange member 29 is not split, as at 42, but provided with fingers l4 riveted at 16 to the inverted dome segment 99. These fingers permit theflexible window to cover the entire bottom flange member 29 and will prevent any acid from working to the inside of the mask, and which might be possible through the bottom of the splits 42 at the point "x".

Either the mash shown in Figure 1 or Figure 10 may have the brackets 99 omitted, and the vertical side members 29 provided with side shields l'l provided with a hole for receiving the bolt 49. The head gear for this mask may be the same as that shown for the mask of Figure 1, that is to say, the head gear shown in detail in Figures 5, 6 and 'I.

Figures 12 and 13 illustrate a mask, such as shown in Figure 1, to which has been applied a flexible cap 19. This cap is made of acid and oil resisting cloth, and is folded and stitched at 19, while the folded part 9| is fastened by suitable laces 92 through holes 99 in the dome seg- The rear of the cap may be attached to the back of the head gear by providing it with a button hole 94, which can be pulled over the bolt 46 and over the flanges 49. The bolt 46 in this instance is shown with a special head 96 to prevent the cap from disengaging from the head gear.

Figure 16, shows a detail vertical sectional view of a portion of the rear of the cap, and in which pieces of the fabric 91 are stitched to the cap proper at 99 and extend on the inside of the head band 41 with snap members 99 for connecting the fabric strips to the cap proper and locking the said cap onto the head band.

Figure 17 shows the mask of Figure 1 with a cape 9| attached thereto. Around the mask proper the cape is provided with a turned in part 92 (see Figure 21) stitched at 99. This turned-in part may be provided with eyelets 94 and these eyelets connected by the laces 96 extending through holes 91 in the dome segments 91 and 99 and the vertical side walls 29. This cape 9| may be arranged to drape over any desired part of the anatomy of the wearer, such for instance as the head, shoulders, breast and back, and is intended to prevent acid from line breaks and splashes from coming in contact with the person of the wearer.

The lacing of the cap 18 and cape 9| will permit the renewal whenever the same should become damaged by acid, etc.

It has been found that cellulose acetate may be employed as the window for this mask. While this material may lose some of its tensile strength g and changed in various ways without departing over a period of several months, it would usually be renewed or replaced by that time under ordinary working conditions. The window is positioned in the mask by inserting one of the side edges in the channel of one of the vertical side members 29. It is then forced toward the top of the mask inside of the upper dome segment, and at the same time the other side edge is inserted in the channel of the'opposite vertical side member 29. The bottom of the window at that time is slightly above the pressed out intermediate part 43 of the mask shown in Figures 1, 12 and 17, and above-the fingers 14, shown in Figures 10 and 11. The window may then be pushed downward into normal position, so as to assume the position shown in such figures.

' The mask has been found to give eiiicient protection for chemists using nitrometers. This mask will protect the chemist against fragments of glass and spraying acid in case the decomposing bulb should burst. -In this field, the mask will fill a long felt want because inadequate protection of the eyes and face has often resulted in serious and painful'injury.

The mask will also be found eflicient for protection against hot sparksof metal in some forms of grinding operations. It will be found adequate for protectionto chemical workers around tubs of vats, and particularly where acid isward into protective position.

It has been foundthat hot sparks do not cling to the cellulose acetate window, and while it may be marked by acid of heavy strength, the acid does not go through same. While with a splash of acid of heavy strength, the acetate window may be destroyed, the wearer's face, neck, ears and eyes have been protected, not only from the acid itself, but from flying parts of metal and glass.

Of course, the masks illustrated and described herein may take other forms and be modified from the invention herein set forth and hereafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A protective mask comprising a frame having upper and lower dome segments, said frame consisting of arcuate strips adjoining said dome segments and vertical channel members extending between said arcuate strips and having their bottoms at the outside of said lower strip whereby a flexible window is readily replaceable therein, a flexible window having its sides sprung into said vertical channel members and having its upper end underlying said upper arcuate strip and its lower end overlying said lower arcuate strip, and means for preventing the lower edge of said window from dropping below said lower arcuate strip.

2. A protective mask comprising a framehaving upper and lower dome segments, said frame consisting of vertical channels andarcuate strips adjoining said dome segments, a flexible window having its sides sprung into said channels and having its upper "end underlying said upper arcuate strip and its lower end overlying said lower arcuate strip, means for preventing the lower edge of said window from dropping below said lower arcuate strip, said frame having holes in said upper dome and vertical channels, and a flexible protective hood having its edge laced to said frame and then folded over to completely cover said lacing. I

3. A protective mask comprising a frame having upper and lower arcuate strips separated by andconnected with channel members, said channel members having their bottoms atthe outside of said lower strip whereby a flexible window is readily replaceable therein, a flexible window having its sides sprung into said vertical channel members and'having its upper end underlying said upper arcuate strip and its lower end overlying said lower arcuate strip, and means for preventing thelower edge of said window from dropping below said lower arcuate strip.

4. A protective mask comprising a. frame having upper and lower arcuate strips separated by and connected with channel memberasaid channelmembers having their bottoms at the outside of said lower strip whereby a. flexible window is readily replaceable therein, a flexible window having its sides sprung into said vertical channel members and having'its upper end underlying said upp r arcuate strip and its lower end over- 

